UNDESA Fellowships Programme 2023/2024
UNDESA Fellowships Programme 2023/2024
About The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action.
Its work is guided by the universal and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of 17 integrated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015.
The UN/DESA Office in Italy promotes and coordinates several important development cooperation initiatives – in particular in the area of human resources development – within the framework of UN/DESA’s mandate, liaising accordingly with Italian and European institutions, civil society organizations and the business sector.
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This web site aims to provide the general public with useful information on UN/DESA’s activities in Italy and beyond.
UNDESA Fellowships Programme 2023/2024
The tentative timeframe for the 2023/2024 round of the Programme is as follows:
- February 2024: orientation workshop organized by the ILO/International Training Centre
- March 2024-February 2025: work experience/on-the-job training period in a UN Field Office
Eligibility requirements for applicants
Candidates must meet all the following requirements to be considered eligible:
- born on or after 1 January 1995
- Italian nationality
- Fluency in English and Italian
- hold one of the following advanced university degrees (or degree combinations) awarded before the application deadline:
- Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica
- Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico
- Laurea/Laurea Triennale plus university Master’s degree
- Bachelor’s degree plus university Master’s degree
How to apply: UNDESA Fellowships Programme 2023/2024
Applications can only be submitted online through the Online Web Application (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome.
The deadline for submitting applications is 31 July 2023 at 3 pm (CET/Italian local time).
Before starting the application process, please read ALL documents concerning the Fellowships Programme and its eligibility criteria.
Registering with the Online Web Application (OWA)
To register with the Online Web Application (OWA), click on the following link: Online Web Application (OWA).
It is recommended to use internet browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Internet Explorer. For optimal visibility of the web-based form, ensure in advance that your screen resolution is set at a MINIMUM of 1280 x 1024 pixels and your Internet browser zoom at a MAXIMUM of 100%.
Once registered, you will receive an automatically generated message requesting verification/confirmation of your account information. Kindly note that some systems may forward accidentally the message to the JUNK or SPAM folder. Please check this folder if you do not see the message in your Inbox.
Following verification of your registration, you may log in and enter your profile data, i.e. personal details, contact details, family details and information on your nationality and residence.
Creating your online application
Once registration is completed, you may begin creating your online application [Press “Create Application” button].
If you have already applied to previous editions of either the JPO or the Fellowships Programme via the Online Web Application (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome, your new application will automatically retrieve the contents of your most recent online submission.
Candidates who retrieve their last application must review ALL contents and make the necessary changes and/or add information where appropriate before clicking the ’SUBMIT’ button.
Compiling your online application
Please allow sufficient time to complete your application, bearing in mind that you may stop/start as often as you wish in order to facilitate correct data entry.
ALL sections must be completed in English. Applications completed or partially completed in Italian will be disregarded. The OWA system allows you to copy and paste text from another document (e.g. Word or PDF) using the Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) keyboard shortcuts.
To avoid potential data loss, it is strongly recommended to press the ‘SAVE’ button once you have completed each section.
There are seven (7) sections in the online Application Form, as follows:
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1. General information
You will be requested to provide information on how you learned about the Programme and what your preferred field of work is.
2. Skills
You will be requested to provide details of your language and computer skills. You may also list any publications, where relevant.
3. University /Higher Education
This section allows you to provide details of your university/higher education studies. Please ensure you include all institutions and clearly list the university degree(s) conferred. You will also be requested to provide information on your university activities, including relevant seminars, specialist courses and final dissertation(s).
In this section, you must upload a copy of the relevant university degree certificate attesting eligibility for the Fellowships Programme, such as:
– PhD, or
– Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica, or
– Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico, or
– University Master’s degree
Do NOT upload a copy of your undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s / Laurea Triennale).
4. Schools and training
This section allows you to list any formal training courses that you have undertaken. Education history information from age 14 onwards must also be included.
5. Employment history
You will be requested to provide details of all relevant work experience to date, specifying as follows: contract information, description of your duties and achievements, as well as reasons for leaving. Please use a separate record for each post. You should also include voluntary work and internships.
6. Motivation letter
This section allows you to briefly outline your reasons for applying to the Fellowships Programme. You may also highlight here your strengths and interests.
7. Additional information and Submission
This section allows you to list professional societies you belong to and activities in civic, public or international affairs, as well as information regarding any fellowships held and/or periods of residence outside the country of your nationality.
Uploading your university degree certificate: UNDESA Fellowships Programme 2023/2024
The OWA system allows you to upload only one PDF file. You must upload a copy of your university degree certificate attesting eligibility for the Fellowships Programme. Do NOT upload a copy of your undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s / Laurea Triennale). The PDF document must not exceed 1MB.
As an alternative to a degree certificate you may upload a signed self-certification document (autocertificazione) provided that the degree has been awarded by an Italian university. This self-certification must include given name and family name, date and place of birth, university degree obtained, date of award, name of the Italian university, final grade and credits obtained. In order to be valid, this self-certification must be dated and signed (handwritten signature only).
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Self-certification documents which have a computer keyboard-generated signature, are unsigned or otherwise incomplete will not be accepted.
Candidates who have graduated from non-Italian universities cannot submit a self-certification document and must submit a copy of the degree awarded.
If you do not upload certification for one of the university degrees attesting eligibility for the Fellowships Programme, your application will not be deemed valid.
N.B. Do not upload certificates of qualifications awarded by non-university institutions/entities unless they have been formally recognized by a University system.
The sample documents below will NOT be considered valid:
Example 1: Unsigned self-certification
Example 2: Keyboard-generated signature
Example 3: University Enrolment Certificate
Example 4: Piano di Studi
Example 5: University website screenshots
Submitting your application
The application form must be submitted before the deadline indicated.
Before submitting your online application, remember to double-check all data entered by clicking on REVIEW.
Note that once submitted, it is no longer possible to edit your application. The submission will be considered final.
Multiple applications are not permitted. Candidates who submit more than one application will be disqualified from participating in the Programme.
After you have clicked on ‘SUBMIT’, a PDF version of the application will be automatically generated. You may decide to save this document on your computer and/or print it (also at a later stage) via the ‘PRINT’ option at the bottom of the registration/sign-in page.
For additional information, please contact the UN/DESA Office in Rome at fellowshipinfo@undesa.it